NPR 2009-07-05

Former national football league quarterback Steve McNair was found shot to death in an apartment complex in Nashville today. McNair played 13 seasons in the NFL. Blake Farmer of member station WPLN has more.

Nashville police say no suspects have been taken into custody 1 in connection with McNair's death. Police are, however, questioning potential witnesses. Nashville police spokesman Don Aaron "The investigation 2 is going to be conducted by the police department’s centralized homicide unit. Those detectives have assembled here at the scene." The 36-year-old McNair spent most of his career with the Tennessee Titans. He was well liked and known for his toughness playing through multiple injuries. He led the team to the 2000 Super Bowl with a bitter loss to the St. Louis Rams 3. McNair ended his 13-year football career in Baltimore with the Ravens 4 last year, and he’s lived in Nashville since retiring. For NPR News, I'm Blake Farmer in Nashville.

Honduras's new post-coup 5 government says it has withdrawn 6 from the Organization of American States. The move came before the OAS today could consider suspending the country's membership for failing to restore elected president Manuel Zelaya to office. But OAS officials say the current regime in Honduras does not have the authority to withdraw. The UN and the OAS have condemned 7 last weekend's coup as illegal and they’ve called for the restoration of the country's elected leadership.

Two US troops have been killed by rocket and mortar 8 shells fired by Taliban militants 9 in a fierce battle in eastern Afghanistan. The fighting took place near the area where an American soldier was captured earlier this week. The battle ended only after US forces called in air strikes on the militants.

President Obama is calling on Americans and members of Congress to look to the spirit of the nation's founding fathers this Fourth of July as the US faces a number of daunting 10 challenges. Mr. Obama made the remark in his weekly radio and internet address as NPR's Dina Temple-Raston reports.

From two wars and a deep recession to skyrocketing health care costs and a dependence 11 on foreign oil, the president said that facing challenges is what Americans do best. "It’s what has always led us, as a people, not to wilt 12 or cower 13 at a difficult moment, but to face down any trial and rise to any challenge." And he said the challenges Americans must rise to include revamping the nation's education system, reforming health care and beefing up our reliance on clean energy. He called on Americans to summon the same spirit as those that inhabited Independence Hall 233 years ago today. Dina Temple-Raston, NPR News.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and state and city authorities in New York have arrested a dozen people and seized 33 pounds of heroin 14 with the street value of about $30 million. The drugs were stuffed in Build-A-Bear teddy bears and stamped with brand names such as swine flu. Officials say the arrest broke up a drug ring based in the Bronx that sold hundreds of thousands of small bags of narcotics 15 a week.

This is NPR News.

More than 1.2 million people have signed up for a chance to get tickets to the memorial service for Michael Jackson next week in Los Angeles, the drawing to be held in three hours, but only 11,000 people would get tickets to the Staples 16 Center where the event will be held. Another 6,500 will get to watch at a theater next door. Police are bracing 17 for massive crowds. The city's assistant police chief says hundreds of thousands of people may try to reach the arena 18 even though a wide area around the Staples Center will be sealed off.

Serena Williams defeated older sister Venus today to capture her third women's singles title at Wimbledon. NPR's Rob Gifford reports from London.

If Switzerland's Roger Federer had a monopoly on the men's singles here till last year, the Williams sisters have had a duopoly on the women's. It was the fourth all Williams final at Wimbledon, and Serena came out on top for the third time winning 7-6, 6-2. They've won eight of the last ten Wimbledon singles titles between them. By winning her third title, 27-year-old Serena stopped her 29-year-old sister Venus from making it three in a row. Today she was too good, Venus said, she had an answer for everything. The men's final is tomorrow and sees five-time-champion Roger Federer playing two-time runner-up American Andy Roddick. Federer is seeking a record 15th grand slam title. Rob Gifford, NPR News, London.

After competing in singles, the Williams sisters teamed up to win their fourth Wimbledon doubles title today.

A truckload of fireworks exploded as a crew was setting up for a holiday display on Ocracoke Island in North Carolina. The blast killed one worker and critically injured four others.